Professional tooth whitening is accomplished with peroxide-containing bleaching agents, which help to remove intrinsic and extrinsic stains, or with non-bleaching whitening products, which physically or chemically help to remove surface stains only.
Among the many professionally applied bleaching products are those containing 25%-40% hydrogen peroxide. These gels typically contain carbamide peroxide, which breaks down into hydrogen peroxide (the active bleaching agent) and urea. The gels are applied in the dental office and left in place for approximately 1 hour, with a heat or light source often used to activate and/or accelerate the teeth-whitening process. Take-home whitening maintenance products may include flexible custom-made trays to be filled with whitening gel by the patient. Clinicians also may dispense dentifrices containing polishing or chemical agents formulated to remove surface stains through gentle polishing, chemical chelation or other non-bleaching actions.
Prior to application of professional products, gum tissues are protected with a rubber dam or gel and, if needed, the patients’ eyes are protected with laser goggles. Other whitening-related accessories include those intended to facilitate access and application (mouth and lip openers, cheek retractors, plastic applicators), and those intended to help determine patient expectations and monitor progress (shade guides).
If you ask your patients if they want whiter teeth, you’ll probably hear a resounding, “Yes!” But if you ask them if they’re willing to get their teeth whitened under your supervision, as opposed to using an over-the-counter product, they’re likely going to have questions about the process before they commit. You might actually find that these...
You already know that teeth whitening can help your patients look and feel better. You also know it can increase your bottom line. But do you know whether offering teeth whitening products and services could be an even bigger revenue generator for your practice? Kulzer, which makes the Venus White teeth whitening system, has some recommendations...
As you’re well aware, patient education is critical no matter what procedure or treatment you’re proposing. Without it, you may end up with treatment refusal, nonadherence of treatment recommendations, or incorrect product usage. The team at KöR Whitening understands this, so they created a web page specifically for patients, chock full of...
Has it really been 10 years since KöR Whitening was launched? I remember when we in the dental media first started hearing about KöR—and its founder and whitening science expert Dr. Rod Kurthy—in press events and at dental meetings. It seemed to me then, and it still does today, that by understanding the science behind the importance of...
The days are getting shorter, and so are the weeks until we’re celebrating the holidays with friends, family, and colleagues. Many people start to think about whitening their teeth this time of year, before all those photo ops get here, too. Whether it’s an in-office or a take-home system, whitening is one of the simplest and most profitable...
So, I didn’t know this, but heat lamps were the first source of light used to accelerate the chemical reaction that leads to whiter teeth. And the result? Overheating the dental pulp to the point that some patients required endodontic therapy. Ouch! Thus began the race to discover just the right kind of light to get teeth white as quickly as...
